Aotearoa NZ Festival of the Arts

Aotearoa NZ Festival of the Arts We are Aotearoa's leading presenter and maker of cutting edge arts experiences

In a new Op-Ed, our Executive Director Angela Green reflects on what it takes to keep the show on the road - and why inv...
30/09/2026

In a new Op-Ed, our Executive Director Angela Green reflects on what it takes to keep the show on the road - and why investing in arts and culture matters to the future of Wellington.

Read the full piece in The Post 🗞
thepost.co.nz/culture/361087592/show-must-go-who-will-pay-it

We are deeply saddened by the passing of rigger, technician, and much-loved member of Aotearoa's live events community, ...
28/09/2026

We are deeply saddened by the passing of rigger, technician, and much-loved member of Aotearoa's live events community, Nic Balkum 🤍

Since arriving in New Zealand in 2014, Nic became a respected and trusted presence across theatre, festivals, film, circus, and aerial performance. Through YOOCrew, the company he co-founded, and through the many productions and events he helped bring to life, Nic earned a reputation for his exceptional skill, unwavering professionalism, and generous spirit.

Nic worked extensively on Tāwhiri events throughout his time in Aotearoa and developed a close association with our technical team. As a senior rigger, lead supplier, and trusted consultant on the Tāwhiri Warehouse, he played a vital role behind the scenes, helping realise countless events, installations, and tours.

Tāwhiri Head of Technical and Production, Paul O'Brien shared these words:
"Nic was known for his calmness, hard work and affability to all he worked with – a staunch defender of doing things the right way. In our industry Riggers are the first in and last out so to have a human being as beautiful as Nic leave at half time seems wrong on so many levels."

Moe mai rā Nic🌿

Pictured are some of the recent ANZFA shows Nic was involved in.
📷1 &2 courtesy of YOOCrew
📷 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, 2026 Festival, photo by Josiah Wood
📷 TEIWA, 2026 Festival, photo by Nick George
📷 Briefs Factory, 2026 Festival photo by Nick George
📷 Tāwhiri Warehouse, 2026 Festival, photo by Nick George
📷 Light Cycles, 2024 Festival, photo by Mark Tantrum
📷 Meow Meow, 2024 Festival, photo by Hagen Hopkins
📷 The National, 2024 Festival, photo by Nick George
📷 BELLE, 2024 Festival, photo by Andi Crown

Huge congratulations to Michael Norris, Rob Ruha and MĀ for progressing as finalists for the 2026 APRA Silver Scroll Awa...
11/09/2026

Huge congratulations to Michael Norris, Rob Ruha and MĀ for progressing as finalists for the 2026 APRA Silver Scroll Awards! 🌿

Michael Norris showcased his composer-curator genius with SoundCathedral at the 2026 Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts. This immersive performance transformed the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul into a living soundscape. He is a finalist for the SOUNZ Contemporary Award | Te Tohu Auaha for the composition 'Partial Forms,' written alongside Nicholas Denton Protsack.

Rapper, composer, singer-songwriter MĀ performed at the Tāwhiri Warehouse for 2026 ANZFA with highlights from her acclaimed sophomore album, 'Blame it on the Weather'. MĀ is a finalist for the APRA Silver Scroll Award | Kaitito Kaiaka for the song 'Afters', co-written alongside Troy Kingi.

Rob Ruha brought the show-stopping TEIWA to 2026 ANZFA alongside the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and powerhouse haka group, Te Taumata O Apanui (TOA). He is a finalist for the APRA Maioha Award with the song, 'Matariki Hunga Nui', which he wrote alongside Troy Kingi, Kaylee Bell, and Rangi Mātāmua.

Ka rawe! 🎉

Images by Nick George photography.

Bring your art to the public and put in a proposal for The Performance Arcade 2027! Returning to Wellington Waterfront t...
05/08/2026

Bring your art to the public and put in a proposal for The Performance Arcade 2027! Returning to Wellington Waterfront this coming summer is the joyous expression of creativity and participation 🌇

Whether you're from Aotearoa or around the world, The Performance Arcade encourages you to submit your idea to deck out a shipping container or perform on Wellington Waterfront between 24-28 February 2027. Applications are open for artists working in performance art, theatre, dance, social sculpture, installation, public intervention, and other practices that engage live relationships with audience and space.

Apply for their open call by 5pm Fri 28 Aug at theperformancearcade.com/artist-submissions 🔗 and head to The Performance Arcade for more information and inspiration 💫

📸 Performance Arcade 2026, photo by Josiah Wood.

Coming up soon! The first concerts of The John Psathas Group, an international ensemble of exceptional artists dedicated...
28/07/2026

Coming up soon! The first concerts of The John Psathas Group, an international ensemble of exceptional artists dedicated to the performance and evolution of John Psathas’ music.

Featuring Dawn Hardwick (the London-based pianist who featured in Psathas's 2026 Festival show 'Voices at the End'), Fabian Ziegler (Zurich), Katarzyna Myćka (Essen), Stephen Gosling (New York), and John Psathas, the group brings together world-class musicianship, a bold vision, and the ensemble’s shared appetite for pushing musical performance into new territory.

This concert is compelling, visceral, and thought-provoking, combining contemporary ideas and global influences with cinematic audio and mesmerising video, to create performances that impact directly and powerfully on the heart, the mind, and the body. This is musical performance expanded: intimate, urgent, exhilarating, and alive with possibility.

📅 Tickets available at the link in our bio 🎫
4 Aug: Auckland
5 Aug: Hamilton
7 Aug: Hastings
9 Aug: Wellington
11 Aug: Nelson
13 Aug: Christchurch
15 Aug: Dunedin

Huge congratulations to our long-time Festival collaborator, the spectacular Claire Mabey, who won the Lynley Dodd award...
23/07/2026

Huge congratulations to our long-time Festival collaborator, the spectacular Claire Mabey, who won the Lynley Dodd award for children's literature last night! 📖🌟

Claire is the founder of Verb Wellington and has previously led the Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts Writers Programmes.

Her first novel for young people, The Raven's Eye Runaways is one of our favourites and we can't wait to dip in to the sequel 🐦‍⬛

We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of composer, performer, choral music expert, and teacher, Robert Wiremu 🤍T...
20/07/2026

We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of composer, performer, choral music expert, and teacher, Robert Wiremu 🤍

This past year, Robert was commissioned by The King's Singers at the 2026 Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts. His piece, 'Whina said...' was inspired by the words of Dame Whina Cooper, calling to care for the children of Aotearoa as the voices of the future. At the 2026 Festival show Ara Hura - A Visionary Journey presented by Voices NZ, Robert's work, 'Re-imagined Mozart: Erebus' was specially placed as the centrepiece of the choral celebration.

Festival Co-Director Tama Waipara shared some words for his late friend: "Robert Wiremu was my colleague and friend for over 30 years and his passing is deeply affecting. His impact on our musical and artistic landscape is immeasurable and woven into the many threads of who we are in Aotearoa. He was a gentle genius whose wit and flair was wrapped in warmth and generosity. Robert’s patience and humility made him an exceptional leader as he stewarded and scaffolded the musical journeys of many. I will miss him dearly and am forever grateful to have had the privilege of his friendship.
Moe mai rā 🌿

📸 Photo 1, Pieter du Plessis (Photos of Robert Wiremu at the World Choir Games 2024 when he conducted the nine-choir super-chorus in Matariki He Kāhui Reo: World Choir Games, at Holy Trinity Cathedral). Photo 2, The King's Singers at 26ANZFA, photo by Nick George. Photo 3, Ara Hura - A Visionary Journey at 26ANZFA, photo by Nick George.

From next Monday 29 July, the Pōneke Festival of Contemporary Dance is back to celebrate contemporary dance in the capit...
25/06/2026

From next Monday 29 July, the Pōneke Festival of Contemporary Dance is back to celebrate contemporary dance in the capital 🪭

For one week this July, the freshest artists from across Aotearoa and beyond are coming to heat things up and push boundaries. Expect performance seasons, artists in residence, free events, parties, debates, and good vibes.

The Pōneke Festival of Contemporary Dance is here to ensure a vibrant future for Pōneke's dance scene, fostering a passionate community around this captivating art form.

See the full festival programme at footnote.org.nz 🔗 for the event line up - tickets on sale now!

📍 29 June - 4 July | The Hannah Playhouse & Footnote Dance Studios

The festival is a joint initiative curated by Footnote New Zealand Dance and presented with The Hannah Playhouse and Toi Aro, supported by Wellington City Council.

Under renowned Slovenian conductor Ana Erčulj, and with Organist Michael Stewart, Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir prese...
19/06/2026

Under renowned Slovenian conductor Ana Erčulj, and with Organist Michael Stewart, Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir presents two unforgettable nights of choral brilliance in a programme infused with warmth and radiance everlasting: Eternal Light - Fauré Requiem 🌠 Coming to Wellington for one night only!

At the heart of Eternal Light is Fauré’s Requiem – music of restraint and consolation, with gentle harmonies that hold grief and hope in balance. Erčulj also brings music from her native Slovenia, introducing New Zealand audiences to works by celebrated composers, Andrej Makor and Aldo Kumar, Damijan Močnik, and Lojze Lebič. This is paired with a newly commissioned work; ‘Awatea’ by acclaimed New Zealand composer Rosa Elliott.

Set within the soaring acoustics of two of New Zealand’s most iconic cathedral spaces, this concert invites you to experience the unifying power of the country’s finest voices, resonating in gleaming harmony. Get ready for an evening of timeless peace and resplendence – a celebration of light unending.

Auckland: 26th June, Holy Trinity Cathedral - 7pm
Wellington: 27th June, Wellington Cathedral of St Paul - 7pm

🎫 Book now at voicesnz.com/event/eternal-light-faure-requiem 🔗

09/06/2026

Tickets are selling fast to Macy Gray Live at St James Theatre on Thu 15 Oct! 💫 Get yours before they sell out at jazzfestival.nz/events/macy-gray-live 🎫

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